Emira D'Spain Wants Every Trans Kid to "Give Yourself Grace"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/relationships/emira-d-spain-wants-every-trans-kid-to-give-yourself-grace/ar-BB1kL6nm?ocid=windirect&cvid=cbfdc966341e420cbf16e7ecde595b5c&ei=285
Story by Emira D'Spain (29 March 2024)
When did I first experience gender euphoria? My parents are so accepting of me, so that's, for me, truly when I always have the most gender euphoria. Just being around my family. And knowing that that's not an experience that a lot of LGBTQ kids and adults get to experience, that's something that I become more and more grateful for the more people I meet in the community.
During middle school, when Gaga was first topping the charts - the era of "Born This Way" and all those songs - she made me feel so empowered that I could be myself and live my truth.
These days, I have made myself known not only for being trans; a lot of my audience doesn't even know that I'm trans. I feel like whenever I do talk about it, it's almost like, "Oh, whoa, I didn't know that about her." I think that's always really interesting. I think most creators who are trans make it part of their content, and it's something I talk about every now and then. I think it's cool for me to do that, because people who don't know that about me now have this different perspective of me.
I think this ties in with one of the other news articles you posted. The level of visibility is a two-edged sword.
I have often heard comments from people that they have no problem with us just being ourselves. Their objection is when we are constantly in their face trying to cram our demands for equality down their throats. They are happy to live and let live, just get out of my yard when you are doing so.
Some activists are out there demanding equality and some make a big show of it. A comment I overheard recently was about a woman with a pink and blue mohawk, face piercings, and tattoos. She was holding a sign and part of a demonstration. The commenter said that "people like that cannot be taken seriously as they obviously have mental health problems." One step forward, two steps back.
At the other end of the spectrum, are the authors, artists, and musicians who focus on their work. People appreciate them for their contributions and might be surprised to learn that they are trans. I think that generally, people are more accepting in that situation because our "alternate lifestyle" is not being forced upon them, it is not the focus of the work and is more of a side-note.
I am more of the second type. In my interactions with social media, my being trans is a side note. It is clearly visible on my profile or my "About Me" section on my web page. But I am not an activist and my posts are about common interests that I share with my audiences. I guess my attitude is to allow people to accept or reject me as they see fit. Demanding acceptance is futile and that is not what we are asking for. You do not have to accept us for who we are if you are not inclined to do so. But we are still entitled to basic human rights whether you accept us or not.
Sorry, this comment went way longer than I expected. ;D